Rules of Interaction
by shadowblade-tara
Summary: Somewhere after Kirk waking up and the beginning of the five-year mission, Kirk and Spock managed to hammer out a few rules for their new friendship. This is how the rest of the crew finds out about them. Post Into Darkness.
1. Never Screw Over Your Partner

Star Trek © Gene Roddenberry. The rules belong to one Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

AN: Once again, inspired by a photoset I found on Tumblr. The Gibbs Rules as they relate to Kirk and Spock, because I love them. A series of one-shots. Consequently, this one is inspired by a roleplay my friend and I are doing. So here we go.

**Rule 1 – Never screw over your partner**

After everything the command team of the USS Enterprise has been through, one would think everyone would recognize the unbreakable bond that has formed between the two.

Or rather, that's what McCoy thought. Sure, they don't show it in the human sense of friendship, but it's there if you know to look for it. Vulcans don't allow just anyone to touch them (and McCoy has seen Kirk touch Spock, and Spock even returns the touch) and anyone who knows Kirk knows how much the man hates to listen to reason (but he does listen to Spock, sometimes only to Spock, and that's something at least). And these are only two examples. There are others.

It's obvious, really.

Or maybe not.

The Gorgions are an interesting race, McCoy has to admit, looking much like Orions and not entirely unpleasant. They want to join the Federation, and the Enterprise was sent to orbit their planet, entertain their dignitaries, and evaluate their readiness for what the Federation means. McCoy is not surprised that Kirk is throwing everything he has at the Gorgion President.

If there's one thing that even Spock admits is beyond logic, it's Kirk's ability to tell when something is just not right. He doesn't always pick up on it, but when he does, he's never wrong. Obviously, something is not right with the Gorgion President, and Kirk is trying to figure out what. They haven't reacted to the usual bad things they find in other races – well, not yet.

Surprisingly, it happens when Spock comes up to Kirk and hands him a report. The two exchange a few words, and Spock makes to leave. He doesn't get far before the Gorgion claps his hands together delightedly.

"A Vulcan! But they are extremely rare, yes – tell me, how was it procured?"

McCoy's jaw drops. It's no surprise that some species indulge in slavery, but no species that enters the Federation condones it so openly. McCoy watches with interest as Kirk holds up one hand to stop Spock's indignant response. "I wouldn't know, President." he says smoothly. "Tell me, are Vulcan traders common?"

"Not so much, yes, but there. Always there, if you know where to look." The Gorgion leans forward, a broad smile on his face. "I take the Vulcan, I can fetch you a good price, yes. Very good price. I know all the places to look."

Kirk meets his smile with one of his own. It's not a pleasant smile, and Spock exchanges looks with the doctor. McCoy just smirks. Kirk speaks, oblivious to the audience he now has. The entire crew is watching.

"No."

The Gorgion blinks. "But – good price, yes? What is it worth to you?"

The only hint of Kirk's fury lays in his deadly quiet voice. "_His_ name is Spock, and he is _my_ Commander." he says. "So _he_ is worth more than you can pay." He turns his attention to Spock, and McCoy swears the Vulcan is smiling. "Mr. Spock, I do not believe the Gorgions are ready to join the Federation." he says with the weight of a law. Spock nods.

"I agree with your assessment, Captain."

Kirk nods and turns his focus to Uhura. "Lieutenant Uhura – while you are at your duty station, keep an ear out for these traders. I want to know where they are." Nyota nods and leaves the room. Kirk returns his gaze to the Gorgion. "I think it's time you left."

The Gorgion President goes from confused to angry in about three seconds. He takes a step towards Kirk, fists clenched, only to find his path blocked by a rather irritated Vulcan. The Gorgion, wisely, decides against whatever was inside his mind. He simply turns, gathers up his people, and walks back to the transporter room.

Once the initial threat is gone, Spock relaxes and turns his attention to Kirk. "I believe that last order to be excessive." he says. "He may have been bluffing."

"I doubt it." Kirk mutters darkly. "People suck that way."

Spock nods. "Still – "

"Rule #1, Spock." Kirk cuts him off with a grin. "Remember?"

"Ah yes. That rule must be more encompassing than I first thought."

"Things usually are when I'm involved."

The two leave the rec room. McCoy and Chekov watch them go. The young Russian turns to McCoy. "Vat is rule number one?" he asks.

McCoy just grins. "Never screw over your partner."

Chekov blinks. "They have rules now? Vy?"

"I think Jim did it to make Spock feel like he was on more even ground with him." the doctor admits. "At least now he has a set of rules to fall back on when things get too illogical or emotional for him." Kirk wants Spock to stay around, and he's scared the Vulcan may just up and leave if he doesn't have some kind of logical groundwork. McCoy can only imagine the late-night conversations that had to happen to make a Kirk-spawned list sound logical to Spock. "Don't worry about it, Chekov. Some things weren't meant to be explained."

Kirk and Spock wind up back in Kirk's quarters, the temperature a little warm for Kirk and a little cool for Spock, a 3-D chess board set up on the table. Spock reaches for his piece, then hesitates. "I still do not understand your reasons." he says quietly.

The captain nods. "There's more than one way to screw someone over." he replies. "I can hurt you myself, or I can let someone else hurt you, and neither are acceptable."

There is a long pause while Spock puzzles that out. He finally reaches out and moves a pawn. "In that case, it seems highly illogical that we have even managed to become friends." he says.

Kirk laughs. "Wanna know how Bones and I became friends?"

"How?"

"Drunk fight. He broke a bottle over my head then stitched me up when we were both sober enough to see straight." Kirk shrugs and moves his own pawn. "It's always the first rule to be broken when you're getting to know someone, and the only rule that will never break when that friendship is established." He smiles at his Vulcan comrade. "You see?"

Spock studies him for a moment before the faintest hint of a smile crosses his face. "Yes, Jim. I believe I do."


	2. Never Be Unreachable

AN: Also, to those of you who are familiar with Gibbs' rules, I'm leaving out the ones that are obviously crime-related (like the real rule 2). So the numbering is gonna be off on a lot of these.

**Rule 2 – Never Be Unreachable**

Rule #2 was actually the first rule Kirk and Spock managed to agree on. After Kirk's death, Spock refused to let him out of sight unless it was with a communicator. Kirk never could find it in him to be angry about it. After all, he was frightened for Spock as well. He still remembers his last thoughts as the world faded into blackness – _the ship is safe, but Kahn is still out there._

So they made an agreement – they were never to be unreachable, unless previously agreed upon. Kirk waited a long time before telling Spock he wouldn't be reached for one night. He didn't really want to scare the Vulcan any more than he already had. As predicted, Spock wasn't thrilled with the idea, but he respected Kirk's need for privacy.

They don't engage the exception to their rule often, maybe once a month or so. Day one of shore leave is that exception. Day two they have lunch and dinner together, playing chess after the evening meal and enjoying talking about anything that isn't duty-related.

Day three everything goes to hell.

Kirk can't reach Spock. He wants to know if Spock wants to play chess with him that evening, or if he'd rather have some alone time with Uhura (they haven't spent much time together since the whole Kahn incident, and Kirk just hopes he's not the reason for that) but Spock isn't answering his communicator. It makes Kirk's blood run cold. This has never happened before.

He decides to contact Uhura before he starts panicking. "Kirk to Uhura."

"_Uhura here. What's up?"_

"Is Spock with you?" Kirk can practically see the look he's no doubt getting in response to that question. Still, Uhura gives his question a serious answer.

"_No. Last I saw him was yesterday at lunch. Is something wrong?"_

Kirk curses rather impressively. "I can't reach him." He doesn't wait for Uhura to respond. He closes the communicator and takes off down the hall of the resort, racing to Spock's room. He's glad he still has his phaser at his hip – he doesn't know what he's about to walk in on. He doesn't bother buzzing in. If Spock can't answer his communicator, he won't be able to answer the door. Instead he punches in the key code and lets himself in, phaser drawn.

"Jim!"

Spock is in there (_thankfully_), lying in a bloodied heap by his bed. His communicator is on the pillow, where he always keeps it when he's meditating. In a flash Kirk is beside him, assessing the damage as well as he can. Green blood trickles down the Vulcan's face from a deep gash on his forehead, and he's been stabbed several times. Kirk tugs his shirt up, trying to see the wounds better. His hands are shaking as he pulls out his communicator.

"Kirk to McCoy. Spock's room – _now_."

"I am fine." Spock attempts to sit up. "Jim – "

"Stay down!" His hands are still shaking as he puts pressure on the deepest of the wounds. "What the hell happened, Spock?"

The Vulcan grunts. "A thief. I was meditating – he caught me by surprise. I was struck in the head with something heavy, and he stabbed me when I wouldn't stay down." He meets Kirk's gaze, and the captain almost laughs at the indignant fury he sees there. "I imagine he would have continued if my communicator hadn't gone off. He was not very stable."

Kirk can't quite choke back a laugh. It comes out rather hysterical. "Yeah, anyone who would attack a Vulcan isn't stable, Spock." he says, relief almost taking him off his feet. If Spock can joke, then he's fine. "Looks like Rule 2 saved the day."

Spock smiles at him. It's not a human smile, but it's a smile nonetheless, and Kirk grins at him in return. "It would appear so."

That's when McCoy arrives. "Holy shit. Seriously, you two can find trouble no matter where you go." He kneels down beside Kirk and pulls out his med kit. "Okay, Jim – I need you to move now. This space is cramped as it is." Kirk nods and starts to pull back, but Spock reaches out and grabs his wrist.

The skin-on-skin contact gives him a brief glimpse into Spock's mind before the shields come back up. The Vulcan is – well, scared is not the proper term for it. Unnerved, really. He's been taken by surprise, and that doesn't happen often. So Kirk moves out of McCoy's way and settles down beside Spock again. McCoy just shrugs. "Okay, that works too."

McCoy works in silence. The wounds aren't that deep, despite the sheer amount of blood everywhere. He chalks that up to the Vulcan moving around when he shouldn't have been, trying to reach the stupid communicator. By the time he's finished, Spock has gone into a healing trance. McCoy looks up at Kirk. "Finished."

Kirk nods. "He's okay now?"

"He will be. I'd like to keep him on the Enterprise for observation, but moving him now would be a bad idea."

"Well, will moving him to the bed be bad?" Kirk asks, wincing a little at the awkward position Spock is in. "He's putting a crick in my neck, and I'm just looking at him." That makes McCoy chuckle, but the two of them lift Spock and lay him on the bed. Kirk removes his bloodstained shirt and pulls a blanket over him.

"You gonna stay here with him?" McCoy asks.

"Of course." Kirk glances at him. "I'm the captain; it's my job."

"Heh. You and I both know that when it comes to Spock, nothing is _just_ your job." the doctor teases. "Actually, I'll keep watch for a while. You need to go inform the station commander that some crazy person is going around stabbing people he can't steal from."

Kirk rolls his eyes. "Shit. I hate paperwork."

"Get used to it, kid."

The captain grabs his communicator and phaser before walking away. He stops at the door. "Let me know if he wakes up before I get back, okay?"

McCoy sighs. "Jim, it wasn't that bad. It could have been – it could have been _really_ bad – but you found him in time. Looks like your silly rules aren't so silly after all. Yes, I will let you know if he wakes up." Kirk nods, glances at Spock, and leaves.

He's completely unaware of the blood on his hands until he makes his appearance before the station commander. In retrospect, he probably should have washed up first, but at least this way he got his point across much better. Threats alone can only do so much.

When he makes it back to Spock's room, Uhura is there, sitting beside him. Kirk winces. "Sorry. I should have told you he's okay." he says quietly. He's never been in the same room with Spock during one of his healing trances – is it like sleep or a coma? He doesn't know, so he keeps his voice down. He doesn't need McCoy to tell him waking the injured Vulcan up would be a bad idea.

Uhura just stares at him. Kirk can see the tears she won't let fall. She doesn't say anything to him. She just gets up and leaves the room. Kirk sighs and settles in beside Spock.

"Dude, I think Uhura is pissed at you." he says to no one in particular. "If you need a place to hide when you get better, you know where to find me."


	3. Always Work As A Team

AN: Okay guys, so far I have 18 rules that will make up this story, all from Gibbs (and no, that's not all of them, just the ones I want to use). If there are any non-Gibbs rules/quotes/whatever that you would like to see turned into a Kirk and Spock rule, just leave it as a review, and I'll work it in.

**Rule 3 – Always work as a team**

The command team of the Enterprise has some epic fights.

It's to be expected. Kirk and Spock are as different as night and day. The two shouldn't be able to get along as well as they do with barely any common ground. It provides a source of comfort to those who don't serve on the ship when they see the two going at it. it's more natural than the easy companionship they display under normal circumstances. The crew, on the other hand, generally hate it when Kirk and Spock start fighting.

McCoy and Uhura are the ones that immediately become aware of it when the fights start. Kirk retreats to med bay and Spock to Uhura, and the two of them vent and complain until they feel they can be in the same room together without trying to kill each other, and everything goes back to normal. Most of the time.

In fact, the fights become fewer but more intense. They learn to brush off the small annoyances, but the larger ones tend to lead to larger explosions. Small spats that are easily forgotten usually precede the major, yelling-and-cursing arguments. The crew learns to see the signs and stay out of the way.

So no, it's not surprising that Kirk and Spock fight. What is surprising is what can happen during a fight.

On the bridge, Uhura watches the command team as they work together to keep the Klingon vessels from destroying the Enterprise. If she didn't know any better, she would never know that the two were currently in the middle of one of their more epic arguments. They walked onto the bridge spitting mad and snapping at each other, and the instant the red alert hit, they exchanged looks and all that anger vanished.

Like a switch had been flipped. Now they're angry, now they're not. Uhura can't figure out how they do it.

"Sulu, as soon as the torpedoes fire, put us in maximum warp!" Kirk orders.

"We may not have the room for that, Captain." Spock says. "If we hit one of those ships on the way out – "

"If we don't leave now, we're dead." Kirk snaps. "Besides, that's what the torpedoes are for. Sulu – do it."

"Yes sir." Sulu puts his fingers on the appropriate switches, waiting. The Enterprise shudders as Chekov delivers two torpedoes, one after the other. The Klingon vessel blocking their way moves at the impact, and Spock knows it's not quite enough. The Enterprise will be damaged, but they just might make it. They might fit. Sulu powers the ship into warp –

And nothing happens.

"Tractor beam!" Sulu shouts. "I can't break us free!"

"Captain, the Klingons are hailing us." Uhura says.

"On screen." Kirk orders. The Klingon face appears before them. He looks smug – inasmuch as his wrinkled face _looks_ anything. He smiles at Kirk.

"I will make you a deal, _Captain._" he says. "You for your ship."

For a very long moment, there is silence. For a brief moment, Spock feels cold, because he knows there is only one answer Kirk is going to give. He's given it before – he's _offered_ it before – when he thought it would save his crew. Spock has seen just how far Kirk will go to protect his people, and this will not take any thought at all.

He's right.

"Deal." Kirk stands up. "Send the coordinates to the computer." The Klingon nods. Sulu relays them to Kirk in a shaky voice. Kirk glances at Spock. "You have the conn."

Uhura watches the two of them, horror etched into her face. She watches as Spock opens his mouth to say something, then abruptly shuts it. He offers a short nod. "Affirmative." Kirk flashes him a smile and turns his attention back to the Klingon.

"We will release your ship when the captain is aboard our ship." the Klingon captain says smugly. Spock only nods and takes his seat in the captain's chair. Kirk leaves. The door sounds so loud in the suddenly silent bridge.

Uhura just stares at the back of Spock's head. She wants to scream, to yell and demand just _what_ is going through that Vulcan's mind. She thought Kirk is his _friend_.

Spock doesn't have to ask when the exchange has been made. The Enterprise shudders as the tractor beam is released. The Klingon vessels disperse one by one. Spock watches the event unfold on the screen. He has to play his cards carefully, otherwise this entire gamble is for nothing. The captain's ship is the last one to leave. The Klingon sends one last message.

"Good bye, Starfleet Captain. Congratulations on your promotion."

Spock immediately connects to the transporter room as the screen goes dark. "Mr. Scott, lock on to the captain's transponder and _bring him back._" he orders. Scotty doesn't acknowledge his orders, and Spock listens intently, waiting for his cue. They're only going to get one chance to make a clean getaway. His hands grip the armrests convulsively.

"_Got him, Mr. Spock!"_

"Maximum warp, Mr. Sulu. Now!" Spock barks. To his credit, Sulu doesn't hesitate. The Enterprise shudders as it drops into maximum warp and shoots into space. Sulu smiles.

"We are gone, and they're not following." He turns in his chair to face Spock. "Looks like we got away."

Spock nods slowly. "Good." He stands up. "Take the conn, Mr. Sulu." He doesn't bother to explain. He just gets up and leaves. He makes his way to the transporter room. Kirk will be waiting for him there. He won't leave until his commander has had the chance to check on him.

Kirk smiles at him as he enters the room. The captain is a little roughed-up, but nothing that McCoy cannot fix. He sighs faintly.

Somehow, Kirk can see the tension leaving his shoulders. "You had my back." he says. "Never doubted it."

"I do wish you'd let someone else in on your harebrained plans." McCoy grumbles as he walks into the room, tricoder ready. "Seriously, Jim, you're giving me grey hair. I don't like grey hair."

"We had it under control, Doctor." Spock says mildly. "Although, one of these days I am not going to be as quick as you need me to be. Our luck will run out."

It makes Kirk smile all the more to hear Spock say _our luck_ and not _your luck_, but he keeps that to himself. Instead he just says, "Nah. We're like cats – between the two of us, we've got eighteen lives."

The arched eyebrow and faint smile he gets in return is well worth it.

Thankfully, that's the last of the big fights for a while.


	4. Never Take Anything For Granted

**Rule #4 – Never take anything for granted**

If there is one thing the whole dying-living thing taught Kirk, it's to not take anything for granted. Especially Spock and McCoy. Bones' friendship doesn't bring the same kind of wonder that Spock's does. Bones is one of those people that Kirk knew he would be friends with from the beginning. He was actually Kirk's first friend in the Academy. The two got along well and still do.

Spock is a different story.

For their past alone, Kirk values his friendship with the Vulcan. For a species that does not hand out loyalty easy, he has _earned_ Spock's. This makes him happier than anything else he has achieved in his life, even becoming captain. No matter what happens, he has two friends who will never leave him, and that's two more than he ever thought he would achieve growing up.

So no, Kirk does not take Spock or McCoy for granted. Kirk has never been accused of being a good person, but he tries hard to be a good friend. He keeps McCoy from completely drinking himself dead after his wife serves him with divorce papers one month into their mission. Sometimes he provides the brandy and the helpful ear when he knows the strain of pretending everything is okay is starting to get too much for him. Taking care of McCoy is easy. Kirk just keeps an eye on the doctor's secret stash and occasionally moves it when it gets too low too fast. That forces McCoy to talk to him, which in turn makes things better. Usually.

Sometimes it just starts a fight.

Spock is different still. The Vulcan barely shows his emotions, but Kirk has gotten used to looking for the clues. He still feels awful about using Amanda against Spock, but he knows the Vulcan won't accept an apology. So instead he keeps an eye out for him. Spock shows his own signs of distress, and Kirk learns to see them. Then he offers a night of chess (and usually hot chocolate) and listens while Spock tells him stories of Amanda. It touches Kirk that Spock even trusts him with such stories. He never tells anyone what Spock tells him, not even McCoy, and that says something.

Kirk cannot lose Spock's trust. He just can't.

Spock does not take his friends for granted either. He is not as adept at dealing with emotions as Kirk and McCoy are, but he knows the signs just as well. There have been quite a few times during their mission where he has cancelled his plans with Nyota so he can give Kirk or McCoy whatever support he can. (Kirk may never know it, but Spock knows where the doctor's stash is and keeps an eye on it as well, and he knows when Kirk has been dipping into it when he shouldn't. That is when it's Spock's turn to provide a chess game and a bottle of whiskey.)

He knows Nyota dislikes it when he cancels on her, but he cannot ignore his friends. He's not a very good friend (without Kirk's rules he'd be completely lost) but he does the best he can, and McCoy and Kirk seem to appreciate it.

He finds himself in Kirk's quarters. The young captain doesn't seem to be aware of his presence (although he did welcome him in). He's talking to someone on his personal computer. "Look, Sam – "

"_This is serious. You need to be there."_

"I can't! What part of five-year mission do you _not_ understand?" Kirk demands. "I can't just turn the Enterprise around and go back to Earth. We wouldn't make it in time anyway."

A huff from the computer. Spock stays where he is, unwilling to draw attention to himself. Whoever this person is, he must know the captain personally to be able to get away with talking to him like that.

"_Mom's gone. I need you."_

Kirk sighs. "I know. But – Sam – you know what it was like. I can't go back there. I'm sorry, but I can't." He runs his hands through his hair. "Listen, I'll get shore leave as soon as I can – let you know where we'll be. You can come meet us, and we'll, I don't know, hang out or something."

"_I can't believe you."_ Sam snarls. _"I need you at the funeral, not five months later."_

"If I go back, Frank will kill me." This is said so flatly that Spock does not doubt its truth in the slightest. He feels cold for a brief moment, but pushes it away. Instead he walks over to Kirk's bed and settles in, waiting for the conversation to be over. Kirk glances at him and smiles tightly. "Sam – "

"_No. You suck, you know that? You went to that damn memorial service for the Vulcans, but you won't go to Mom's funeral."_ A sigh. _"You know what – never mind. Good bye, Jim."_

Kirk finds himself staring at a blank screen. Slowly, he sighs and turns his attention to Spock. "Sorry – I thought you were Bones, otherwise I would have wrapped that up sooner." he says.

Spock gives him a look. "Doctor McCoy is aware of this Frank person?"

Kirk flinches. "I was exaggerating."

"No, you were not." the Vulcan retorts. "You firmly believe every word you said. I would just like to know what kind of man would keep you away from your own mother's funeral." Kirk stares at him a moment, then laughs helplessly and sits down beside him.

"After my dad died, Mom got remarried to Frank." he says slowly. "She wasn't around much – I don't blame her or anything, I loved that woman and she loved me, but it meant I was left alone with Sam and Frank a lot. Frank, well – " Kirk cuts himself off. Spock watches him, waiting patiently. Prompting will not make Kirk talk about it any faster.

Finally, the captain just reaches down and pulls his shirt up. Spock can see a thin, faint network of scars across his abdomen. His breath catches. "Frank did this to you?"

"Yep. Every last scar." Kirk lets his shirt down and sighs. "He never messed with Sam. Told me if I told him, he'd kill Sam. I had to protect my brother, you know? He may have been older than me, but it was still my job to protect him." He glances at Spock. "Bones knows because one time during the Academy Frank came to visit. He punched me once and it set off a whole series of nightmares, and Bones was sharing a room with me. That's the only reason he knows."

Spock knows what he's trying to say – _it's not personal that McCoy knows and you don't._ It's just the way it played out. Slowly, Spock nods.

"If you wish to go – I will go with you."

Kirk smiles faintly. "You don't know my mom."

"You did not know mine, and yet you were there for me." Spock retorts. "You and the doctor. Let us come with you."

Kirk laughs. "Why? So you can protect me from Frank?"

"I find it highly unlikely that you will need protection from your stepfather." the Vulcan says. "However, I believe he would find me a formidable foe."

That actually has Kirk laughing, but suddenly it turns to almost hysterical tears. He leans forward, shoulders shaking, breath hitching as the tears finally come. Spock places his hand gently on Kirk's shoulder, careful not to touch his skin. He can't help if he's being bowled over by his captain's emotions.

That's how McCoy finds them a few hours later – Kirk leaning against Spock's chest, face stained with tears and actually asleep for once, and Spock supporting him with a hand at the small of his back. The doctor chuckles. "Now that is a sight to see." he says quietly. "Want some help putting him to bed? You look like you're about to crawl out of your skin."

"Please." Spock says gratefully. Between the two of them they manage to get Kirk relatively situated on his bed. Spock removes his shoes while McCoy covers him with a blanket. The entire time, Kirk does not wake. "He will be fine, correct?" he asks the doctor.

McCoy gives him a look. "Let me ask you a question – are you _fine?_"

Spock starts to retort, then actually stops to think about it. After all, not taking his friends for granted means not completely hiding his emotions from them. They deserve to see them, for they have earned his trust. "Most days." he relents.

McCoy nods. "Then, after a while, most days he will be as well. Just give him time." He starts to leave the room, then pauses. "And we're going with him to that damn funeral. Go ahead and tell Sulu to change directions. Jim won't mind."

Spock's lips twitch in a smile. "Of course, doctor."


	5. You Don't Waste Good

**Rule 5 – You don't waste good**

At some point, Spock thinks to ask Kirk why he accepted the Vulcan back as his commander. Kirk just grins at him and says, "You don't waste good, Spock." Like it's the most obvious thing in the world, except Spock wasn't aware that Kirk thought he _was_ good. After their discussion on rules, Spock assumes it's a rule Kirk has lived by without giving it an official number.

In Spock's mind, it becomes Rule #5.

Kirk is good at following that rule. Spock watches as he chooses his staff and uses his people. No one can claim the crew of the Enterprise is _stable_ – similarly, no one can claim they aren't the best at what they do. The crew is _good_, and Kirk knows how to use that to the mission's advantage.

Slowly, Spock learns as well. He learns when he needs to direct and when to just back off and let them do their jobs. He learns this by watching Jim Kirk.

Spock knows he is an excellent First Officer, but that is only because he is serving with Kirk. The human makes it easy to learn and anticipate (or maybe that's their friendship helping their work, because Kirk knows him just as well) and Spock does not wish to serve under another captain.

So when he takes a private call in his quarters, he's surprised to see an admiral on the other end of the line talking about promotions. Their last landing mission did not go well and resulted in the death of three security officers and severely wounded Spock and Chekov. Kirk had been in and out of the med bay, checking up on them and providing entertainment (poker for Chekov, chess for Spock) for as long as he could before McCoy kicked him out. Spock has only just been released. Chekov will be released tomorrow.

"_Completely inexcusable behavior."_ the admiral is saying. _"Kid never should have been given the reins so early. He's proven time and time again to be impulsive to the point of dangerous."_ He sighs.

Spock stands there, staring at the screen, arms crossed behind his back. He doesn't like where this is going. "Why are you contacting me about this, sir?" he asks.

The admiral smiles. _"I'm going to get Captain Kirk off of the Enterprise – "_

"That would be unwise."

He's not sure who is more shocked – himself or the admiral. Spock has never interrupted someone like that before (except Kirk, but the captain has come to expect it), but he continues on regardless. "I believe you are not looking at the full set of facts, Admiral. Captain Kirk's actions saved lives."

"_Three men are dead, two more injured severely. How is that saving lives?"_

"The death toll should have been higher. There should have been eight dead, even more critically injured. Any other captain, any other decision, and that is exactly what would have happened. You would have had eight casualties. As it stands, there are only three. Five lives were saved."

The admiral sighs. _"Commander Spock – what would you have done?"_

For a moment, Spock does not speak. What would he have done? If he had stayed on the ship and Kirk had gone down to the planet, if he had received that distress call, what would he have done? Only his Vulcan training allows him to completely suppress his shiver at the idea.

He can faintly remember Kirk's reaction when he was finally brought back aboard. Chekov wasn't quite as badly injured as he was; he can remember hearing the ensign crying, absolutely terrified, and Kirk standing there staring at them, sheet white, eyes wide with pure, unfiltered _fear_.

There had been tears in Kirk's eyes.

"I would have done what the Captain did – whatever it took to save my crewmates."

The admiral sighs again. _"Stubbornly loyal, you know that? Kid has no business being captain yet – "_

"Admiral, with all due respect," Spock interrupts him, "you do not waste good. And Captain Kirk is good." He's the best captain in Starfleet in Spock's opinion, and yes, he knows his opinion is biased.

For a long moment, the admiral just looks at him. Finally, he smiles. _"Well, he must be doing something right. Alright, fine, I'll drop it. Just remind him he doesn't have Admiral Pike watching his back anymore."_

Spock will do no such thing. Pike's death is a sore spot still with Kirk. "No." he agrees quietly. "He has me." The admiral just nods and cuts the transmission. Spock lets out a quiet sigh and closes his eyes for a brief moment. Sometimes, Starfleet gives him a headache.

The buzzer rings, and Spock automatically says "Come in". Kirk steps inside and the door closes behind him. The captain smiles tiredly at him.

"Hey. Heard Bones cut ya loose."

"He did." Spock nods. "Have you slept yet, Jim?"

"With you and Chekov in intensive care? No." Kirk takes a step forward, hesitates. "I – I know you don't like being hugged, but can I hug you?" Curious, Spock nods.

And suddenly finds Kirk with his arms wrapped around him, gripping him tightly. He's careful not to make skin contact, but Spock can still sense the almost overwhelming relief. It's as quick as it is fierce, and Kirk lets go and takes a step back, giving Spock his space again. The captain smiles. "Thanks. You scared the hell out of me."

Spock nods understanding. "Consider it – I believe the term is 'payback'." he says. Kirk laughs at that.

"Well, neither of us need to go repeating it, okay?" he grins. "Wanna play some chess? Bones said you might need some company."

Spock nods. "That sounds agreeable."

He does not regret his decision to defend Kirk. The captain is his friend, and now that he knows how to act as one, he is going to live up to his end of the relationship. You don't waste good, and you never screw over your partner.

As he watches Spock relax into the game, Kirk adds another rule to his list: Never pass up a chess game.


	6. Don't Hide Yourself

AN: Since rule #6 is chess, this is rule #7 – courtesy of Minecraft Guardiansaiyan. Thank you again for the idea!

**Rule 7 – Don't hide yourself**

After the whole incident with Kahn, there was simply no point in hiding from Spock anymore, Kirk figured. The man had watched him die, struck out to avenge him, and was there when he woke up. That counts for a lot in Kirk's book. So he lets some of his façade slip, little by little, until there isn't much of it left. He leaves himself vulnerable before Spock.

It doesn't take long for Kirk to realize that Bones is following his lead. He actually starts teasing the Vulcan, showing a little more of how much he really does care, and it amuses Kirk to no end to see the two of them heckle each other mercilessly. He watches as Spock learns what everyone does eventually – the difference between Bones harassing you and Bones insulting you.

It takes longer still, but slowly he sees Spock opening up to him. It happens in fits and starts, and sometimes it feels like he's back at square one with the man, but each time he opens back up, it's a little more than it was the last time.

This is one of those _closed_ times. They're transporting a group of Vulcan diplomats from Earth back to Vulcan II, and while this doesn't include Ambassador Spock (which makes Kirk inordinately disappointed), it does include Serek. It doesn't take a genius to know that Spock and Serek do not always get along. Apparently, this is one of their disagreements. Spock is sealed up tight, unwilling to speak beyond necessary with anyone, and even Bones has noticed.

So they do what all good friends do – they stage an intervention.

Spock comes down to the medbay late. "Doctor, you requested to see me?" He takes note of Kirk there and pauses. "Is something wrong?"

"Not really." Kirk says. "Well at least, not to us. Something is definitely wrong to you, so we thought you'd like to talk about it."

Spock stiffens slightly, that emotionless mask becoming just a little stronger. "Captain – "

"Oh come on. It's _Jim_ when we're off-duty, and this has nothing to do with duty." Kirk smiles at him, trying to put the Vulcan at ease. "It's okay. We're not doing this as your co-workers. We're doing this as you're friends." That makes Spock relax ever-so-slightly, but Kirk will take everything he can get. He motions for his friend to join them, and he does, albeit hesitantly. Kirk hands him a chocolate bar. Spock arches an eyebrow.

"What purpose does this serve?"

"Well, a little birdie let it slip that Vulcans only get intoxicated on chocolate." Bones says with a grin. "And since I plan on drinking lots of brandy tonight, and Jim has his whiskey, we figured we'd bring you something as well, just in case you felt like joining us."

Spock sighs. "I am beginning to suspect telling Nyota that wasn't a good idea." he mutters, but he takes the chocolate anyway and sits down next to Kirk on the bio-bed.

It only takes a few hours. By then Bones is completely trashed and will likely remember absolutely nothing by the next morning. Spock and Kirk are only buzzed, although Kirk is on his way to being truly drunk. He decides to stop while he's ahead. Instead he turns his attention to Spock. "Want to talk about it?" he asks. They're currently sprawled out on one of the larger bio-beds, hidden in the back of medbay for more privacy. Kirk can't count how many times he and Bones have fallen asleep back here after drinking or even just discussing their troubles.

"It is of no importance." Spock says quietly, turning his third chocolate bar over in his hands. "My father and I get into these – discussions. He still does not approve of my choices, although he's coming closer to understanding them. I believe Mother's death had something to do with that."

Kirk winces. "You still miss her."

"I believe I always will."

"Nothing wrong with that." Kirk sets aside his bottle and turns over on the bed, facing Spock directly. McCoy is curled up on the bed behind the Vulcan, eyes open yet pretending to be asleep. So maybe he's not as drunk as Kirk thought. "You can talk about it, you know."

"It is an emotional matter. I should not be experiencing it."

That makes Kirk roll his eyes. "Your own father admitted to being in love with your mom. Obviously, Vulcans can feel." When Spock turns his gaze away, Kirk tries a different tactic. "Look, I'm not asking you to show me everything you feel or don't feel – I'm not that much of an asshole. Normally. But I'm not going to judge you for what you do show me."

That makes Spock smile just the tiniest bit, and Kirk has to reassess his opinion of Spock's drunkenness. Either that or he's just comfortable. The rest of the tension bleeds from his shoulders. "I still do not wish to discuss it." he says softly. "Maybe later, when it is not so –" he breaks off, uncertain.

Luckily, Kirk is fluent in translating awkward silences. "Raw." he says, his voice just as soft. "It's still too raw."

"Yes."

"Okay. So long as you know you can." He reaches up and tugs on Spock's shoulder. "Come on, lay down. You're giving me a crick in my neck." Spock arches an eyebrow but lays down anyway. McCoy curls up against his side, his back pressed against the Vulcan's arm. Kirk keeps a bit more distance, but still keeps a hand on Spock's shoulder. Spock frowns. "I do not understand this." he admits.

"It's called bonding time." Kirk says with a sleepy grin. "If you wanna go back to your room, you can. Bones and I tend to sleep here when we do stuff like this." Spock still looks a little lost, so he adds, "Or if you want, we can switch places. At least that way if we try to roll over on you, you can escape us." He puts a bit of a tease in his voice.

Spock makes an undignified snorting sound. Yep, definitely intoxicated. "I believe I will be fine where I am." he says, allowing his eyes to close. "Between yourself and McCoy, I will be sufficiently warm."

Kirk doesn't even attempt to control the happy smile that spreads across his face. He closes his eyes and falls asleep quickly, one hand still resting on Spock's shoulder.

From his other side, McCoy speaks. "We just don't want you to think you have to hide yourself from us, Spock." he murmurs sleepily. "You're our friend."

Spock just lays there for a moment, staring up at the ceiling. "I am not accustomed to friends." he whispers. "Despite Jim's rules, you will have to be patient with me."

"You can add it to the list." McCoy says. "Don't hide from your friends."

That makes Spock smile, just a little bit. "I will do my best to remember that." he says quietly.

The next morning they all have hangovers, but Kirk thinks it's well worth it to see his friend _content_ once again.


	7. Never Apologize

**Rule 8 – Never apologize, it's a sign of weakness**

Rule #8, McCoy realizes, is all Spock's doing.

It surprises him, really – after all, he never pictured Spock as the rebellious type, but Rule #8 is all about being rebellious. McCoy realizes, after a while, that when one grows up as the constant target of bullies, one learns quickly what will make the beatings worse. It makes sense that apologizing – that showing any sign of emotional response – would be considered a weakness in a place like Vulcan.

Still, Kirk picks up on it. It becomes an official rule, although McCoy can't really see it being implemented. Kirk knows too well the value of a well-meaning 'I'm sorry' to just not use the words. All captains do.

Of course, all bad things tend to happen on shore leave. The Enterprise values Spock far too much to attempt to hurt him, and it's well known to all of Starfleet exactly how protective of their commander the crew is. They will protect him. So shore leave is really the best opportunity to run into xenophobes. Usually, Kirk and McCoy keep an eye out for all of their non-human crewmembers. This time, however, shore leave is Kirk's opportunity to file some paperwork with the brass and McCoy's chance to restock the medbay. This leaves Spock alone to do whatever he wishes to do while on Starbase 3.

In retrospect, this is a really bad idea. The crew of the USS Matthews is on shore leave at the same starbase as the Enterprise, and they are notorious for being the only all-human crew in Starfleet. McCoy has never been too sure if that translates to xenophobia.

Now he knows.

Kirk and McCoy are called in to the starbase commander's office. Spock is already there, along with Captain Jones from the Matthews and a security officer. The security officer sports multiple bruises across his face. Spock has a slice across his cheek that is still bleeding green and a yellow-green bruise that goes up beside his eye.

The starbase commander nods. "Captain Kirk, thank you for – "

Kirk ignores him. He automatically goes to Spock and reaches up, silently asking permission to examine the wound. Spock tilts his head accordingly, allowing Kirk to get a better look without actually touching him. Even though his face is closed off, McCoy can see the fury in his eyes. He takes a small step back. "Let McCoy check that out." he says quietly.

Spock's eyes flicker over to the security officer. "Captain –"

"Don't worry about him, Mr. Spock." Kirk replies, cutting him off. "I'll take care of this. You let McCoy check that out." This time Spock simply nods and follows McCoy into the hallway outside of the office. From here they can still hear voices, if not words. McCoy pulls out his tricorder and takes a look.

"What happened?" he asks quietly.

"I would rather not discuss it right now." Spock is nervous, his fists clenching and his eyes flickering between McCoy and the door.

"Jim knows how to handle himself." McCoy points out.

Spock nods. "I am aware. However, I am familiar with the security officer from my Academy days."

That makes McCoy hesitate. "This isn't the first time he's hurt you." It's not a question, and Spock doesn't bother to answer. McCoy shakes his head and goes back to his readings. The bone is actually broken beneath the cut. The doctor blinks. "What, exactly, did he hit you with?" he demands. "Last time I checked, a simple punch is not going to break your bones."

Spock finally meets his gaze. "A short length of steel pipe." he says flatly. "I believe it was a baseball bat. That, combined with his strength, was enough."

McCoy nods. "Wait here." He turns to walk back inside the office, but Spock catches his arm. McCoy's temper flares, but Spock cuts him off.

"I believe Jim already knows." he says quietly. "We had this conversation not too long after Kahn." McCoy nods tightly.

Suddenly voices are raised. "I don't care!" Captain Jones shouts from inside the office. "I want that damn Vulcan to come back in here and _apologize_ – "

"Like hell." Kirk snaps. "I refuse to make my commander apologize for _defending himself._ I'm not that big of an asshole."

"Come on, gentlemen, calm down." the deep tones of the starbase commander order, and then the voices quiet down again. After a few more minutes, the commander walks out of his office. He nods politely to McCoy and Spock and leaves the hallway. After that comes Kirk, Captain Jones, and the security officer.

Captain Jones immediately rounds on Spock. "Listen here, you –"

And is abruptly cut off by Kirk and McCoy grabbing him by the shoulders and throwing him against the far wall. Kirk is already up in Jones' face, and McCoy takes position in between Spock and the redshirt. Kirk presses his arm into Jones' throat, pinning him in place.

"Listen to _me._" he snarls. "If _anyone_ from your ship comes after mine again, I will come after you and _tear you apart_. Am I clear?" Jones can only truly nod, eyes wide. Kirk lets him go and joins McCoy. "Let's get out of here." he says darkly. McCoy only nods. The two of them flank Spock as they walk back to the docking bay and return to the Enterprise.

It doesn't take McCoy long to fix Spock's cheek – bone regenerators are generally large and cumbersome and therefore do not leave medbay, hence the trip back to the Enterprise – but Spock stays a while longer, regaining his controls. McCoy leaves him to it. Even though he teases the Vulcan mercilessly, he knows when to back off and let Spock do his deal.

He's on the other side of the medbay when Kirk walks in. He nods to McCoy and makes straight for Spock. Automatically the Vulcan lifts his face for inspection. "I am fine." he assures the captain. "Doctor McCoy is very good at what he does."

Normally McCoy would harass Spock about admitting that he's _good_ at anything, but there's something in Kirk's eyes that makes him keep his silence. Spock sees it, too. A small frown furrows his brow. "Captain – "

"I'm sorry."

Spock shakes his head. "Do not apologize –"

"It's a sign of weakness, I know." Kirk brushes him off. "Spock, _I'm sorry._"

Comprehension flashes across Spock's face. "I assure you, Jim, it is not necessary." he says, something that might be a smile twitching his lips. McCoy has gotten just as good as Kirk at reading the micro expressions Spock uses. "That particular security officer has been xenophobic since the Academy."

"I know." Spock blinks, and Kirk continues. "He only ever hurt you once in the Academy though. I made sure of it."

McCoy speaks before he can even think better of the words. "Seriously – that's what that fight was about?" he demands, turning away from restocking his shelves. "If I had known that, I wouldn't have ragged you so hard."

Kirk snorts. "You would have, you just would have taken care of it yourself instead of sending me to Academy medbay." he retorts gamely. "I know you."

Spock's eyes are wide. "That was _you_?" he demands. "Why did you not tell me?"

"Never got the chance to." Kirk says with a shrug. "After a while, it just wasn't important anymore. Besides, I wasn't trying to get your attention. I beat the shit out of him because he's an asshole, and he'll let Jones know it too. They won't mess with us again."

"For once, his tendency to think with his fists comes in handy." McCoy says dryly.

"In that light, Jim, an apology is even less necessary." Spock says.

"No. I knew what kind of people would be on that starbase, and I let you walk off alone." Kirk won't look him in the eye. "So I'm sorry. I know you've already forgiven me – hell, you probably don't think I did anything wrong – but it's gonna take me a while before I forgive myself." He turns around and leaves without saying another word.

Spock lowers his head and closes his eyes once again, and suddenly McCoy understands. This rule is only Spock's rule, and Kirk only adopted it as a way of _showing _him. Kirk uses the rule to show Spock he means it when he says it, because the Vulcan sorely needs someone he can trust.

When Uhura enters the medbay moments later and sits down beside Spock, McCoy makes himself scarce. Still, Spock's eyes follow him as he leaves. McCoy smiles, and that seems to be all the commander needs.

/-/

AN: This has become a Kirk/Spock/McCoy story. Somehow, I don't think anyone cares.


	8. Never Date a Coworker

AN: I am so sorry for the long update time! I got distracted by another story, and I've been updating it like crazy. If you like kid-fics, check out In My Dreams, Forever Mine on my profile page. Shameless plug over.

Also, I'm gonna go ahead and apologize now to all Spock/Uhura fans. It's nothing personal. I actually talked with a friend of mine about which way this chapter was most likely to go, and we both decided that this version of Uhura was much more likely to react like this.

**Rule 9 – Never date a coworker**

When Uhura asks to speak with him in private, Spock doesn't realize this is what she wants. She guides him down to the lower levels, into the botany room. Here they can have all the privacy they need, and perhaps that should have tipped him off. Her words hit him like a sledgehammer, shattering the second thing he thought he was doing right. She looks him in the eye when she speaks, and for that he is grateful.

"I think we should break up."

He's not familiar with this terminology, but he thinks he understands this time. He's heard Kirk and McCoy talk about this before. "You wish to terminate our relationship?" he asks hesitantly. Uhura nods. "Why?"

"I don't like sharing."

Spock stiffens. "Explain."

Uhura sighs and crosses her arms over her chest. "Look, I know you're not cheating on me. This might be easier if you were. As it stands, I feel like an ass, but I can't just ignore my own needs, you know?" She glances away, just for a moment. "You're never there anymore. You're always spending time with Kirk or McCoy or both, and not with me. You're neglecting me."

That startles him. "I apologize. I hadn't realized."

"I know." Uhura closes her eyes for a minute. "Somehow that's worse."

Spock doesn't understand – human relationships are much more complicated than he had ever assumed – but he does want this to work. "Perhaps if you give me a second chance, I can rectify my mistakes."

She shakes her head. "Spock, this has been going on for a long time. You've been pulling away from me since Vulcan." She pinches the bridge of her nose. "And I figured, you know, you just needed some time. Obviously, I couldn't be of much help to you. Then Kirk – you blew right past me like I wasn't even there, Spock. And when I went down to stop you, you didn't even _hear_ me. But you heard his name."

"Jim is my friend." Spock says quietly, and it's the only defense he can offer.

"I know, I – oh hell, I'm only making this worse." Uhura reaches out and touches his shoulder briefly before letting her hand fall back to her side. "Listen, I'm not saying this is a bad thing, okay? I'm not saying you've done something wrong. It just doesn't work for me."

"I must request that you explain further." Spock says. "I still do not understand."

Uhura nods. "Okay. Here goes – you and Kirk are a package deal, okay? If someone wants to date one of the two of you, they're gonna have to accept that they come second. Kirk will always come first for you, and you will always come first for Kirk. See what I'm saying?"

"Yes."

"There are a lot of people who can accept that. I'm not one of them. I have to be first in my lover's life, not second, even if it is a close second." Uhura shakes her head. "I'm so sorry, Spock. I thought I could do that, but I can't."

"I understand." And he does. As much as it hurts, he does understand. "I would not want to hold you to a relationship that makes you unhappy." He spreads his fingers in the _ta'al._ "I wish you luck in your future relationships."

Uhura smiles as she returns the gesture. "You too, Spock." She leans forward and kisses his cheek. "I really am sorry." That said, she turns and walks away.

Spock stands there after she has left, staring blankly at the space she occupied. He feels strangely empty. Slowly, he lets his hand fall.

"You okay?"

Spock startles and looks up. Kirk is crouched up in the rafters, but he quickly drops to stand beside Spock. His concern is so strong Spock can taste it. "You overheard the whole thing?" he asks instead of answering. Kirk shrugs.

"Kind of hard not to." he says. "When I saw you guys come in, I was gonna leave, but – well, I've seen that look before. I knew what Uhura was gonna do, and I wanted to make sure you were okay afterwards." He narrows his eyes as he examines the Vulcan. "Are you?"

"I believe so." Spock answers truthfully. "I was simply not aware Uhura was so unhappy with me."

"Eh, don't let it bother you too badly." Kirk says. He puts his arm around Spock's shoulders and guides him out of the botany room. "Now you know why I don't do relationships. Bones and I have always been a packaged deal, and I've never found someone willing to accept that."

Spock nods. "If you and McCoy are considered a package – "

"Then you just got added to it." Kirk assures him. "And hey, me and Bones? We don't walk away. We're better than girlfriends!" He offers Spock a goofy grin. Spock gives him that not-smile in return.

"With friends like you, why would I ever need a relationship?" he says dryly.

"Sex." Kirk shoots right back. Spock gives him a look.

"You are proof the two are not mutually inclusive." he retorts.

"Yeah, but I'm pretty sure if you propositioned Bones, he'd blow his lid." Kirk laughs. "On second thought – do that! I wanna see how many shades of red he turns before he really does explode!"

"If that happens, we'll be short a medical officer."

"Nah, he'll just possess the medbay and hypo me from beyond the grave." Kirk says dismissively.

Spock just shakes his head. "That is illogical."

"_That_ is funny, amigo."

Uhura watches them walk past her and smiles sadly. At least Spock will be well taken care of.


	9. There is Always Time to Talk

AN: This rule once again brought to us by Minecraft Guardiansaiyan. I hope the ficlet is to your satisfaction.

**Rule 10 – There is always time to talk**

For once, shore leave takes them back to Earth. Once the crew are shuttled planet-side, they scatter quickly. Some are visiting family, some friends, some just heading out to the bars and clubs to blow off some steam. McCoy actually leaves San Francisco as well to visit family in Georgia. As is tradition, he invites Kirk along. Kirk invites Spock.

To be more accurate, Kirk _tells_ Spock he's coming, because like hell is Spock spending his hard-earned shore leave at Starfleet HQ. McCoy grumbles a bit, but Kirk just laughs and tells Spock that's Bones-speak for 'come along', and so Spock finds himself meeting McCoy's family. Ian McCoy is more than pleased to meet his son's captain and commander, and he's not even put off by Spock's aloofness. He is, however, a lot less antagonistic than his son, and Spock finds him much easier to converse with compared to his early days with the CMO.

The third day of leave, Spock finds McCoy and Kirk in the kitchen, making plans for the day.

"Oh, come on, Bones! He'll love it!"

"What part of _desert planet_ did you miss?"

"That's the beauty of it!" This is the tone Kirk gets when he's made up his mind and nothing will stop him. "He doesn't have to get wet if he doesn't want to! The touch-tanks are the only time, and those are optional. He'll be fine."

"You are aware that most Vulcans dislike water?" McCoy demands.

"You are aware that the aquarium is frequented by several high-standing Vulcan scientists?"

" . . . Shit."

And that is how the three of them wind up at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta.

Spock balks outside at the sheer size of the place. It is at least three stories tall, and very, very long and wide. There will be lots of humans inside, humans who do not know to keep their hands to themselves. He knows places like this are popular attractions for children. "Jim." he says quietly.

To his credit, Kirk doesn't even pretend like he doesn't understand. "Weekday mornings are the quietest times to go, especially during the fall when school is in." he explains. "Humans will be to a minimum." When Spock still looks hesitant, he reaches out and places a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, I'm not going to make you do something you don't want to do. But I want you to _try this._ I think you'll love it. But if you wanna go somewhere else, we can. Okay?"

This, more than anything else, decides it. "I wish to try."

"Okay."

Kirk is right. There are not very many humans in there. Spock recognizes a handful of other species, but once they enter the first exhibit, he does not think of the others.

The first exhibit is an underwater tunnel. Spock looks up. Manta rays and whale sharks swim overhead. His eyes widen. "This is safe?"

"Wouldn't bring you here if it wasn't." McCoy says dryly. "It's one of the few places Jim can be five years old and I _don't_ have to worry about his allergies."

After that, the conversation fades to a minimum. It is clear that Kirk has been here before. He can answer all of Spock's questions better than the guides can. McCoy chimes in from time to time as well, adding his own observations to the mix. To his amusement, he takes on the role of 'parent' while Kirk indulges in his inner child.

Even more amusing is apparently Spock has an inner child as well. His wonder is far more subdued than Kirk's enthusiasm, but McCoy can see it nonetheless. Spock follows Kirk's lead, listening intently to explanations and exclamations _(Come on Spock, check out the penguins! Come on, let's take the tunnel, if I can fit so can you!)_ and after a while McCoy gives up on trying to keep them contained.

Then they reach the first touch-pool. McCoy hangs back (those things are germ-fests, and he hates them), watching Spock and Kirk as they examine the pool. Spock frowns. "You are allowed to touch the organisms?"

"Yep!" Kirk says brightly. "Best place in the whole aquarium if you ask me. You don't have to if you don't wanna, but me, I'm gonna touch _everything_." He grins. "This is why I never did the science track. I can't keep my hands to myself."

McCoy grins. "Yeah, and the first time he got bit by a –"

"Seriously, Bones? You gonna bring that up?" Kirk protests, but he's laughing as he rolls up his sleeve and dips his hand in the water. This touch-pool has several rays and one shark. Spock watches intently as Kirk lets the shark swim just underneath his fingers. Kirk smiles at him. "See? They don't bite." he assures his friend.

Slowly, hesitantly, Spock rolls up his sleeve and sticks his hand in the pool. He's far more cautious than Kirk, placing only a few fingers in instead of his entire hand, but that only lasts as long as it takes the first ray to brush under his fingers. It feels cool and slippery, like wet leather, but the ray's mind brushes against his own, and his eyes widen.

Instinct. That's all he senses, and it intrigues him to not feel any higher thought pattern. Without thought, he sticks his entire hand in, reaching for the rays again. They slide beneath his hand as they swim circles in the pool, and occasionally the shark will pass by, although it seems to have a fondness for Kirk.

Kirk watches him intently. Spock doesn't exactly smile, but his eyes are wide and unfocused as he watches the rays, and his body is completely still. Whatever he feels, he's completely absorbed. It makes Kirk smile and return his attention to attempting to properly pet the shark.

The trip eventually concludes (with Spock and Kirk attempting to touch _everything_ at every touch-pool they come across, despite McCoy's half-hearted protests) and soon they find themselves back at McCoy's home and tucked in for the night.

Because the home is small, they wind up sharing McCoy's room. There are two twin beds, and Kirk has made himself a pallet out of blankets and pillows in between them. Spock lays on his bed, waiting until he hears the soft snores of McCoy before speaking. McCoy sleeps hard; nothing less than a red alert (or Kirk dumping ice water on his head) will wake him. It is safe to speak. "Jim?"

"Yeah, Spock?"

"What was the purpose of bringing me here?"

Kirk rustles a little in his nest. "What do you mean?"

Spock makes a sound that might be a sigh. "You said today you wanted me to try this, but you were not speaking strictly of the aquarium. What is it about this place that you want me to see?"

It's Kirk's turn to sigh. "I don't have a family, Spock." he says quietly. "I never knew my dad, my mom was always off on some mission or another, and my brother took off as soon as he could. He left me with an abusive step-father."

Spock has to fight the urge to flinch. "I am aware."

"Well, Ian took me in." He rolls over, and even though Spock continues to stare at the ceiling, he knows Kirk is looking at him. "Bones and Ian, they're my family. The crew is like the cousins, and they're my dad and brother. You see?"

"I believe so." A pause. "That doesn't answer my question."

"It can be your family too." Kirk sighs. "Ian likes you. Then again, he has a habit of collecting strays. Bones likes you too, even if he has an odd way of showing it. And – well, you know exactly how I feel about you. I _want_ you to be a part of this. I want you to be my _brother._"

For a long moment, there is silence. "I must meditate on the matter." Spock says finally, his voice sounding very small. Kirk nods.

"That's all I ask."

Kirk sleeps, but Spock does not. As the morning dawns and the family begins to wake – more accurately, when Ian yells down the hall that breakfast is ready and to get _up_ already, and Kirk throws a pillow at McCoy to wake him up and makes the doctor cuss up a storm – Spock finds his answer.

He pulls Kirk aside as McCoy stumbles down the hall. "We have a term for the relationship you speak of." he says haltingly. "We call it _t'hai'lu._"

Kirk's smile could light up the Enterprise. "Thank you."

"You are welcome, Jim."

/-/

AN: Thanks to Minecraft Guardiansaiyan for the bit of Vulcan there. Basically, it's like the _t'hy'la_ bond without the romantic connotations, which fits this story for now.


End file.
